Wellington’s major motorway development, Transmission Gully, is finally expected to open at the end of the month.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency has given it the green light, saying work over summer has brought the road to a stage where it is now confident for public use. That included resurfacing flawed chip sealing on the road.
The project, which began in 2014 and will connect the Kapiti Coast to Wellington, has missed several milestones since its original opening date of April 2020.
Mounting frustration had led to calls for an inquiry and for the Government to step in.
In order to get the 27km four-lane motorway open by the end of March, a number of quality assurance tests are being deferred for after it is open.
Waka Kotahi says none of the deferred tests will compromise public safety, as they relate to ensuring the long-term quality of the road.
Board chair Sir Brian Roache says that the agency “has been committed to finding a pragmatic solution that ensures we are doing everything we can to open a safe motorway, while meeting the public expectations for it to be open for use as soon as possible and to ensure we safeguard good use of public money".
Several key requirements will need to be met for the road to be opened by the end of March, including a final pre-opening safety inspection.
The Agency says, as with any motorway opening, it won’t be announcing a specific opening time for the road in order to prevent any queuing which could cause safety and congestion issues.
Michael Wood says "safety-critical" aspects of the delayed road have been "checked off". (Source: 1News)
Transport Minister Michael Wood says all "safety-critical" aspects of the road have been "checked off".
"This will be a high-quality product, a high-quality road for people to drive on. It will be absolutely safe."
Wood says Wellingtonians have been "waiting too long" for the road, and blames National for a "botched" public-private partnership scheme for the delays.
National's transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says the announcement is welcome news, adding his party "is proud to have started this project" because it will be "a game-changer for the region".
"People have been waiting years for this road so it’s good that NZTA has finally been able to cut the red tape and negotiate an early opening," he says.
"It would be helpful if NZTA would give us an exact date. Given the number of missed opening dates, people may be sceptical about the road opening by the end of March.
"But I’m hopeful that people will be driving on the road in a couple of weeks."
SHARE ME